What Is Wallball?

Accessible

Inclusive

Free!

Perfect for break time

Great access and springboard sport

Get active and tackle health conditions

Opportunities in the UK and around the world

ANY WALL, ANY BALL, ANY TIME

Wallball is a sport in which players compete by hitting a ball against a wall with their hands. It is played all over the world and after being accepted as an official World Games sport, it will soon be featured in the Olympics.

The beauty of the sport is its simplicity and accessibility. You can start playing within in a minute and it’s fantastic way to get active by having fun. Perfect for break time at school or as a springboard sport into other sports and activities.

Different countries have played different versions of the sport for generations – for example in Britain we play a version of Wallball called ‘Fives’, but in recent years these have been standardised to enable competition and unity across the world.

A 1-wall court can be marked out on any flat wall. You hit the ball against the wall with your hands and it must land in the court, then you continue the rally until the ball cannot be returned onto the wall, or bounces more than once or out. Both the doubles and singles games are equally popular, with doubles requiring increased reaction speed and singles demanding more fitness.

1-wall is clearly the most accessible sport and can be played anywhere, anytime… all you need is a wall and a ball. Simple as that!

As there is no line or net to hit the ball over, a common tactic is to aim at the nick of the wall where it meets the floor. This will cause the ball to roll and is the ultimate “kill shot”, but it is an extremely high risk shot and is not easy. More advanced players will move up the court, volley and put spin on the ball, whilst moving their opponent around court to take control of each point.

We use a standard wallball ball (virtually identical to a racquetball). Gloves are by no means essential and are a matter of preference, but specialist handball gloves do provide increased grip and aren’t expensive.

In the UK the sport used to be called ‘handball’ – but this was easily confused with the completely unrelated sport of ‘Team Handball’. The name ‘Wallball’ is now being embraced by the world as the sport goes for Olympic inclusion for 2028.